Kat P.
Yelp
I've stayed at the Washington Jefferson during my last three visits to New York City. It's in a great location near Hell's Kitchen, but still close enough to the Theatre District and Central Park. If you want to stay in Midtown, but prefer to avoid the craziness and tourist-heavy Times Square, consider staying here.
During my first stay at the hotel, I booked the petite room...and it is just that. It's a twin-size bed up against a wall, with a few feet of space around it, a desk with a chair, a closet, and a tiny bathroom with a shower stall. Hotel rooms in New York City are generally small, but the petite room here is definitely the smallest room I've ever stayed in. If you're on a tight budget, this is a good choice. But it's suitable for only one person. But really, when you're visiting NYC, there's so much to do, you're likely not going to be hanging out in your room for very long anyway.
I've also stayed in a deluxe room, which was bigger with two queen-size beds, but the bathroom was still really small with only a shower stall. On my most recent visit to this hotel this month, I booked a standard room. Surprisingly, this was the most spacious room I've stayed in at the WJ. It had a small sitting area with two chairs, side table and a flat-screen TV. The main bedroom area had a queen-size bed, a chair in the corner, a desk and chair, and another flat-screen TV. The bathroom actually had a full tub with jet action. I didn't take advantage of the tub by taking a bubble bath, but it was nice having the option to do that.
The staff at this hotel is very friendly. I've never had any problems with early check-in. They always hold my bags for me until my room is ready. And when you're ready to head out to the airport, they'll gladly call car service for you. I personally have never ordered car service (it's way too expensive), because I always take the subway out to JFK International via the AirTrain. The subway station for the C & E trains is just one block away on 50th Street.
While the rooms are modern, updated and very clean, they do seem to let in quite a bit of noise. Even though the hotel is on a relatively quiet street away from the loudness of Times Square, I've experienced some street noise coming from neighbors taking out trash bins. I could also hear people talking from outside the window -- and even from the rooms next door. It all depends on where your room is located, I suppose. Because I haven't had a noise issue during ALL of my stays here, just some.
I love traveling to New York City to see Broadway shows, and the WJ is in an excellent location for that. Just walking a few blocks southeast, and you're in the Theatre District and Times Square. If you walk several blocks north, you'll find yourself in the Upper West Side, which has a lot of great places to eat and shop. Or you can stroll down 9th Avenue through Hell's Kitchen to get a taste of the local food.
Sometimes it's nice to stay in a boutique hotel like this instead of the large chain hotels like Sheraton, Marriott or Hilton. If you can book a good Internet deal for a stay here, do it!